Science
News This Week:
1)
Injected bacteria shrink tumors in rats, dogs and humans:
A
modified version of the Clostridium novyi (C. novyi-NT) bacterium can produce a
strong and precisely targeted anti-tumor response in rats, dogs and now humans,
according to a new report from Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers.
In its natural form, C. novyi is found in the soil and, in certain cases, can
cause tissue-damaging infection in cattle, sheep and humans. The microbe
thrives only in oxygen-poor environments, which makes it a targeted means of
destroying oxygen-starved cells in tumors that are difficult to treat with
chemotherapy and radiation. The Johns Hopkins team removed one of the
bacteria's toxin-producing genes to make it safer for therapeutic use.
For the
study, the researchers tested direct-tumor injection of the C. novyi-NT spores
in 16 pet dogs that were being treated for naturally occurring tumors. Six of
the dogs had an anti-tumor response 21 days after their first treatment. Three
of the six showed complete eradication of their tumors, and the length of the
longest diameter of the tumor shrunk by at least 30 percent in the three other
dogs.Most of the dogs experienced side effects typical of a bacterial
infection, such as fever and tumor abscesses and inflammation, according to a
report on the work published online Aug. 13 in Science Translational Medicine.
In a
Phase I clinical trial of C. novyi-NT spores conducted at MD Anderson Cancer
Center, a patient with an advanced soft tissue tumor in the abdomen received
the spore injection directly into a metastatic tumor in her arm. The treatment
significantly reduced the tumor in and around the bone. "She had a very
vigorous inflammatory response and abscess formation," according to
Nicholas Roberts, Vet.M.B., Ph.D. "But at the moment, we haven't treated
enough people to be sure if the spectrum of responses that we see in dogs will
truly recapitulate what we see in people.""One advantage of using
bacteria to treat cancer is that you can modify these bacteria relatively
easily, to equip them with other therapeutic agents, or make them less toxic as
we have done here, " said Shibin Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of
oncology at the Cancer Center. Zhou is also the director of experimental
therapeutics at the Kimmel Cancer Center's Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics
and Therapeutics. He and colleagues at Johns Hopkins began exploring C. novyi's
cancer-fighting potential more than a decade ago after studying hundred-year
old accounts of an early immunotherapy called Coley toxins, which grew out of
the observation that some cancer patients who contracted serious bacterial
infections showed cancer remission.
The
researchers focused on soft tissue tumors because "these tumors are often
locally advanced, and they have spread into normal tissue," said Roberts,
a Ludwig Center and Department of Pathology researcher. The bacteria cannot
germinate in normal tissues and will only attack the oxygen-starved or hypoxic
cells in the tumor and spare healthy tissue around the cancer.
Verena
Staedtke, M.D., Ph.D., a Johns Hopkins neuro-oncology fellow, first tested the
spore injection in rats with implanted brain tumors called gliomas. Microscopic
evaluation of the tumors showed that the treatment killed tumor cells but
spared healthy cells just a few micrometers away. The treatment also prolonged
the rats' survival, with treated rats surviving an average of 33 days after the
tumor was implanted, compared with an average of 18 days in rats that did not
receive the C. noyvi-NT spore injection.
The
researchers then extended their tests of the injection to dogs. "One of
the reasons that we treated dogs with C. novyi-NT before people is because dogs
can be a good guide to what may happen in people," Roberts said. The dog
tumors share many genetic similarities with human tumors, he explained, and
their tumors appeared spontaneously as they would in humans. Dogs are also
treated with many of the same cancer drugs as humans and respond similarly.The
dogs showed a variety of anti-tumor responses and inflammatory side
effects.Zhou said that study of the C. novyi-NT spore injection in humans is
ongoing, but the final results of their treatment are not yet available.
"We expect that some patients will have a stronger response than others,
but that's true of other therapies as well. Now, we want to know how well the
patients can tolerate this kind of therapy."
It may be
possible to combine traditional treatments like chemotherapy with the C.
novyi-NT therapy, said Zhou, who added that the researchers have already
studied these combinations in mice."Some of these traditional therapies
are able to increase the hypoxic region in a tumor and would make the bacterial
infection more potent and increase its anti-tumor efficiency," Staedtke
suggested. "C. novyi-NT is an agent that could be combined with a
multitude of chemotherapy agents or radiation."
"Another
good thing about using bacteria as a therapeutic agent is that once they're
infecting the tumor, they can induce a strong immune response against tumor
cells themselves," Zhou said.Previous studies in mice, he noted, suggest
that C. novyi-NT may help create a lingering immune response that fights
metastatic tumors long after the initial bacterial treatment, but this effect
remains to be seen in the dog and human studies.
2) Single
gene controls jet lag:
Scientists
at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a gene that
regulates sleep and wake rhythms. The discovery of the role of this gene, called
Lhx1, provides scientists with a potential therapeutic target to help
night-shift workers or jet lagged travelers adjust to time differences more
quickly. The results, published in eLife, can point to treatment strategies for
sleep problems caused by a variety of disorders."It's possible that the
severity of many dementias comes from sleep disturbances," says
Satchidananda Panda, a Salk associate professor who led the research team.
"If we can restore normal sleep, we can address half of the
problem."Every cell in the body has a "clock" -- an abundance of
proteins that dip or rise rhythmically over approximately 24 hours. The master
clock responsible for establishing these cyclic circadian rhythms and keeping
all the body's cells in sync is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a small,
densely packed region of about 20,000 neurons housed in the brain's
hypothalamus.
More so
than in other areas of the brain, the SCN's neurons are in close and constant
communication with one another. This close interaction, combined with exposure
to light and darkness through vision circuits, keeps this master clock in sync
and allows people to stay on essentially the same schedule every day. The tight
coupling of these cells also helps make them collectively resistant to change.
Exposure to light resets less than half of the SCN cells, resulting in long
periods of jet lag.
In the
new study, researchers disrupted the light-dark cycles in mice and compared
changes in the expression of thousands of genes in the SCN with other mouse
tissues. They identified 213 gene expression changes that were unique to the
SCN and narrowed in on 13 of these that coded for molecules that turn on and
off other genes. Of those, only one was suppressed in response to light:
Lhx1."No one had ever imagined that Lhx1 might be so intricately involved
in SCN function," says Shubhroz Gill, a postdoctoral researcher and
co-first author of the paper. Lhx1 is known for its role in neural development:
it's so important, that mice without the gene do not survive. But this is the
first time it has been identified as a master regulator of light-dark cycle
genes.By recording electrical activity in the SCN of animals with reduced
amounts of the Lhx1 protein, the researchers saw that the SCN neurons weren't
in sync with one another, despite appearing rhythmic individually."It was
all about communication-the neurons were not talking to each other without this
molecule," says Ludovic Mure, a postdoctoral researcher and an author on
the paper. A next step in the work will be to understand exactly how Lhx1
affects the expression of genes that creates this synchronicity.Studying a
mouse version of jet lag-an 8-hour shift in their day-night cycle-the
scientists found that those with little or no Lhx1 readjusted much faster to
the shift than normal mice. This suggests that because these neurons are less
in sync with one another, they are more easily able to shift to a new schedule,
though it is difficult for them to maintain that schedule, Panda says.These
mice also exhibited reduced activity of certain genes, including one that
creates vasoactive intestinal peptide or Vip, a molecule that has important
roles in development and as a hormone in the intestine and blood. In the brain,
Vip affects cell communication, but nobody had known that Lhx1 regulated it
until now, Panda says. Interestingly, the team also found that adding Vip
restored cell synchrony in the SCN.
"This
approach helped us to close that knowledge gap and show that Vip is a very
important protein, at least for SCN," Panda says. "It can compensate
for the loss of Lhx1."On the other hand, cutting back on Vip could be
another way to treat jet lag. Vip could be an even easier drug target compared
with Lhx1 because Vip is secreted from cells rather than inside cells, Panda
says. "If we find a drug that will block the Vip receptor or somehow break
down Vip, then maybe that will help us reset the clock much faster," he
adds.
The new
results take the group a step closer to their goal of creating cell
regenerative therapies that restore the SCN and ameliorate sleep problems. The
scientists have made their gene expression data available through a searchable
web interface at http://scn.salk.edu, giving other researchers a handy way to
explore the effect of light and dark in genes in the SCN and other tissues.
3)
Molecular engineers record an electron's quantum behavior:
University
of Chicago-led team of researchers has developed a technique to record the
quantum mechanical behavior of an individual electron contained within a
nanoscale defect in diamond. Their technique uses ultrafast pulses of laser
light, both to control the defect's entire quantum state and observe how that single
electron state changes over time. The work appears in this week's online
Science Express and will be published in print later this month in Science.This
research contributes to the emerging science of quantum information processing,
which demands that science leave behind the unambiguous universe of traditional
binary logic -- 0 or 1 -- and embrace the counterintuitive quantum world, in
which electrons can be in many states at once.The team researched a quantum
mechanical property of the electron known as spin. Much like conventional
computers use the charge state of electrons to constitute bits of information,
a quantum computer uses the spin state of an electron as its quantum bit, or
qubit. The work could accelerate development of quantum computing devices, and
the extra computing power that would come with them because it will be easier
to identify materials that have appropriate quantum properties.
The spin
system studied is known as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, an atom-sized
defect that occurs naturally in diamond, consisting of a nitrogen atom next to
a vacant spot in the crystal lattice. "These defects have garnered great
interest over the past decade, providing a test-bed system for developing
semiconductor quantum bits as well as nanoscale sensors," said team leader
David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering at
UChicago. "Here, we were able to harness light to completely control the
quantum state of this defect at extremely high speeds."
Quantum
snapshots
In this
new technique, the researchers locate a single NV center and then illuminate it
with a pair of extremely short pulses of laser light. Each pulse lasts less
than a picosecond (or a millionth of a millionth of a second). The first pulse
excites the quantum states of the defect-bound electron, which then change or
evolve in characteristic ways. The second pulse stops that evolution, capturing
a picture of the quantum state at that elapsed time.By progressively extending
the elapsed time between the two pulses, the team creates a sequence of
quantum-state snapshots -- a movie of how the quantum state changes in time.
The elapsed time can be as short as femtoseconds (a billionth of a millionth of
a second) or as long as nanoseconds (a thousandth of a millionth of a second).
On the human scale, this range of time is like the difference between an hour
and a century.
Having
this vast range of timescales makes the technique especially valuable. The
electron is susceptible and interacts with its complex local environment in
many different ways, each with a characteristic timescale. Being able to test a
wide range of these timescales gives a far more complete picture of the
dynamics of the NV center than has been obtained previously.
"Our
goal was to push the limits of quantum control in these remarkable defect
systems," explained Lee Bassett, co-lead author of the paper and an
assistant professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of
Pennsylvania, "but the technique also provides an exciting new measurement
tool. By using pulses of light to direct the defect's quantum dynamics on
super-short timescales, we can extract a wealth of information about the defect
and its environment."
"It's
quite a versatile technique, providing a full picture of the excited state of
the quantum defect," said F. Joseph Heremans, a UChicago postdoctoral
scholar, the other co-lead author on the paper. "Previous work on the
nitrogen-vacancy center has hinted at some of these processes, but here, simply
through the application of these ultrafast pulses, we get a much richer
understanding of this quantum beast."
Spin
control
It's not
just a matter of observation, though. "This technique also provide a means
of control of the spin state -- an important precursor for any quantum information
system," said Evelyn Hu, a professor of applied physics and electrical
engineering at Harvard University, who is not connected with the new work.In
addition, the method is not limited to investigating this particular defect. It
could be applied to quantum states of matter in a host of materials and
technologies, including many semiconductor materials. "You only have to be
able to use light to transfer an electron between a ground state and an excited
state," said Awschalom.Prof. Guido Burkard, theoretical physicist at the
University of Konstanz and a co-author of the paper, remarked, "This
technique offers a path toward understanding and controlling new materials at
the atomic level."
Hu agrees
that the technique opens many new avenues. "Each new system will pose new
challenges to understanding the energy levels, local environments and other
properties, but the general approach should provide an enormous step forward
for the field," said Hu.In addition to researchers from UChicago's
Institute for Molecular Engineering, the team included collaborators at the
University of California, Santa Barbara (co-lead author Lee Bassett is now at
the University of Pennsylvania), and the University of Konstanz, Germany.
4) Dust
nabbed by spacecraft may be from outside the solar system:
Particles
collected by Stardust probe could help untangle planetary ingredients.
Microscopic grains of space dust captured by NASA’s Stardust spacecraft appear
to have come from interstellar space. These fragile particles, perhaps the
first directly captured from outside the solar system, could help researchers
understand the building blocks of not only Earth and its siblings but also
planets around other stars.
The
sample — just seven particles — comes after years of collecting dust and more
years of thousands of people analyzing the spacecraft’s take. “Any sane person
asks: Why spend years doing this?” says Andrew Westphal, a planetary scientist
at the University of California, Berkeley and a member of the Stardust team.
“This is about our origin,” he says, “what materials formed the sun, planets
and us.”
5) Plants
may use newly discovered language to communicate, Virginia Tech scientist
discovers:
A
Virginia Tech scientist has discovered a potentially new form of plant
communication, one that allows them to share an extraordinary amount of genetic
information with one another. The finding by Jim Westwood, a professor of plant
pathology, physiology, and weed science in the College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences, throws open the door to a new arena of science that explores how
plants communicate with each other on a molecular level. It also gives
scientists new insight into ways to fight parasitic weeds that wreak havoc on
food crops in some of the poorest parts of the world.
His
findings were published on Aug. 15 in the journal Science."The discovery
of this novel form of inter-organism communication shows that this is happening
a lot more than any one has previously realized," said Westwood, who is an
affiliated researcher with the Fralin Life Science Institute. "Now that we
have found that they are sharing all this information, the next question is,
'What exactly are they telling each other?'."Westwood examined the
relationship between a parasitic plant, dodder, and two host plants,
Arabidopsis and tomatoes. In order to suck the moisture and nutrients out of
the host plants, dodder uses an appendage called a haustorium to penetrate the
plant. Westwood has previously broken new ground when he found that during this
parasitic interaction, there is a transport of RNA between the two species. RNA
translates information passed down from DNA, which is an organism's blueprint.
His new
work expands this scope of this exchange and examines the mRNA, or messenger
RNA, which sends messages within cells telling them which actions to take, such
as which proteins to code. It was thought that mRNA was very fragile and
short-lived, so transferring it between species was unimaginable.
But
Westwood found that during this parasitic relationship, thousands upon
thousands of mRNA molecules were being exchanged between both plants, creating
this open dialogue between the species that allows them to freely communicate.
Through
this exchange, the parasitic plants may be dictating what the host plant should
do, such as lowering its defenses so that the parasitic plant can more easily
attack it. Westwood's next project is aimed at finding out exactly what the
mRNA are saying.
Using
this newfound information, scientists can now examine if other organisms such a
bacteria and fungi also exchange information in a similar fashion. His finding
could also help solve issues of food scarcity."Parasitic plants such as
witchweed and broomrape are serious problems for legumes and other crops that
help feed some of the poorest regions in Africa and elsewhere," said Julie
Scholes, a professor at the University of Sheffield, U.K., who is familiar with
Westwood's work but was not part of this project. "In addition to shedding
new light on host-parasite communication, Westwood's findings have exciting
implications for the design of novel control strategies based on disrupting the
mRNA information that the parasite uses to reprogram the host."Westwood
said that while his finding is fascinating, how this is applied will be equally
as interesting."The beauty of this discovery is that this mRNA could be
the Achilles hill for parasites," Westwood said. "This is all really
exciting because there are so many potential implications surrounding this new
information."
6)
Scientists study 'talking' turtles in Brazilian Amazon:
Turtles
are well known for their longevity and protective shells, but it turns out
these reptiles use sound to stick together and care for young, according to the
Wildlife Conservation Society and other organizations.Scientists working in the
Brazilian Amazon have found that Giant South American river turtles actually
use several different kinds of vocal communication to coordinate their social
behaviors, including one used by female turtles to call to their newly hatched
offspring in what is the first instance of recorded parental care in
turtles.The study appears in a recent edition of the journal Herpetologica. The
authors are: Camila Ferrara of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Richard C.
Vogt of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas de Amazônia, and the Associação de
Ictiólogos e Herpetólogos da Amazônia; Renata S Sousa-Lima of the Cornell Lab
of Ornithology; Bruno M.R. Tardio of the Instituto Chico Mendez; and Virginia
Campos Diniz Bernardes of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas de Amazônia, and
the Associação de Ictiólogos e Herpetólogos da Amazônia.
"These
distinctive sounds made by turtles give us unique insights into their behavior,
although we don't know what the sounds mean," said Dr. Camila Ferrara,
Aquatic Turtle Specialist for the WCS Brazil Program. "The social
behaviors of these reptiles are much more complex than previously
thought."Some behaviors of the Giant South American river turtle have been
well known for some time, including the tendency to aggregate in huge numbers
during the nesting season. However, the mechanisms used by turtles to
coordinate their activities have yet to be explained. This study focused on the
sounds made by the turtles as a possible means of facilitating social behavior.
Working
on the Rio Trombetas between 2009 and 2011, the research team captured 270
individual sounds made during 220 hours of recording made with both microphones
and hydrophones when the turtles were swimming through the river. The
scientists then conducted spectrographic analyses on the repertoire, which they
subdivided into six different types of vocalization made by turtles during the
nesting season, which begins as the reptiles leave the seasonally flooded
forest for nesting beaches along river banks. The scientists also sought to
correlate vocalizations with specific behaviors.Sounds made by the turtles
while migrating through the river or basking tended to be low frequency sounds,
possibly to facilitate contact between turtles over longer distances.
Vocalizations made during nesting tended to be higher frequency sounds,
possibly because higher frequency sounds travel better in shallow water and in
the air.The highest diversity of sounds are used by females about to nest; the
researchers theorize that the animals use these sounds to decide on a specific
nesting site and to synchronize their movements (the turtles leave the water in
a single-file procession).The hatchling turtles themselves make sounds before
they hatch and continue to do so as they clamber out of the nest chamber on the
river beach. The sounds, the authors speculate, may stimulate group hatching.
The females, in turn, vocalize in response to the nestling calls, perhaps
guiding the nestlings into the water. These interactions -- the first recorded
instance of parental care in turtles -- were featured in a 2012 study appearing
in the Journal of Comparative Psychology.
Using
sonic transmitters, the team also discovered that the hatchlings remain
together and migrate with adult females for more than two months.The Giant
South American river turtle is the largest of the side-necked turtle family and
grows up to 80 centimeters (nearly three feet) in length. The species is only
found in the Amazon River basin and is now threatened by unregulated
consumption of the turtles' meat and eggs."Groundbreaking studies such as
this one can help us better understand the complex relationships between both
individual animals and their environment," said Dr. Julie Kunen, Executive
Director of WCS's Latin America and the Caribbean Program. "Protecting the
still sizable populations of Giant South American river turtles will also
enable us to conserve the behavioral richness of these reptiles for future
study."Research on the Giant South American river turtles is part of a new
long-term WCS conservation program called Amazon Waters, an initiative focusing
on the conservation of aquatic ecosystems and species.
Movies
Release This Week:
In The
Expendables 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team
comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded
The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms
trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks,
who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The
Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight
old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members,
recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest
mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise
in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.
The
haunting story of THE GIVER centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man
who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and
contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who
is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to
discover the dark and deadly truths of his community’s secret past. With this
newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than
imagined – a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At
extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all –
a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. THE GIVER is based on
Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner
the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
Zach
(Dane DeHaan) is devastated by the unexpected death of his girlfriend, Beth
(Aubrey Plaza). But when she miraculously comes back to life, Zach takes full
advantage of the opportunity to share and experience all the things he
regretted not doing with her before.However, the newly returned Beth isn’t
quite how he remembered her and, before long, Zach’s whole world takes a turn
for the worse.
An archeologist
is convinced the Oseberg Viking ship contains the answer to the mystery of
Ragnarok, the end of days in Norse mythology. He mounts an expedition to “No
Man’s Land” between Norway and Russia, which holds a secret more terrifying
than he could possibly imagine.
When
Paleontologist Peter Larson and his team from the Black Hills Institute of
Geological Research made the world's greatest dinosaur discovery in 1990, they
knew it was the find of a lifetime; the largest, most complete T. rex ever
found. But during a ten-year battle with the U.S. government, powerful museums,
Native American tribes, and competing paleontologists, they found themselves
not only fighting to keep their dinosaur but fighting for their freedom as
well.
Political
News This Week:
1)
Assam-Nagaland border violence toll mounts to 11:
The death
toll in firing and arson along the Assam-Nagaland border by alleged miscreants
from Nagaland has increased to 11 with the recovery of nine more bodies from
the disturbed Uriamghat area of Assam on Friday even as night curfew continued.Assam
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A P Rout told PTI that
all the bodies belonged to the victims of the first day's violence on Tuesday
in the trouble-hit areas of Uriamghat in Golaghat district.Two of the nine
bodies were recovered from Sukhanjan and Chainpur villages and they were
identified as that of Joca Tirkey and Jiten Khalko, Rout said.Another body,
identified as that of Nisa Ekka, and six other unnamed bodies were also
recovered from the area falling under 'B' Sector of the Assam-Nagaland border,
the police said.Two other bodies belonging to Fasai Karmakar and Africa Toppo
were also found.
Meanwhile,
night curfew from 6 pm to 6 am will continue in the troubled areas of
Uriamghat, the ADGP said.Around 200 houses of over 1,000 people were set ablaze
by the miscreants, he said adding over 10,000 people have left their homes and
are sheltering in 10 relief camps opened in the area.Seven villages, including
Chetiagaon, Romanbasti, Chainpur, Ratanpur, Kamphur and Sukhanjan falling under
Sector B of the Assam-Nagaland border, have been affected by the
violence.Additional para-military forces were rushed to the affected places as
only neutral central security forces like the CRPF can be deployed along the
disputed inter-state border though state police force has also been kept on
alert in case of any eventuality, official sources said.The administration has
opened a central control room, comprising Assam Police, Nagaland Police and
CRPF, the ADGP added.
Trouble
began on Tuesday during a protest-rally when an agitated mob gathered in front
of 155 CRPF battalion at Chetiagaon village under Uriamghat police station to
protest against the abduction of two boys - Ajoy Gor and Philson Kujur- by
suspected miscreants from Nagaland.CRPF personnel resorted to lathicharge to
disperse the mob when miscreants from across the border opened fire at the
protestors killing one person, identified as 25-year old Fasai Karmakar, on the
spot and injured two others.
The
Assam-Nagaland border area is divided into six sectors -- A, B, C, D, E and F
falling in the districts of Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong for
administrative convenience.
2) Pak
anti-govt protesters march on; shots fired at Imran:
Determined
to oust Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, tens of thousands of protesters
on Friday marched towards the capital in two separate convoys as clashes
erupted with opposition leader Imran Khan claiming that ruling PML-N activists
fired at his vehicle.Two opposition groups, led by cricketer-turned-politician
Khan and Canada-based cleric Tahirul Qadri, plan to converge on Islamabad to
press Sharif to call an early election little over a year after his landslide
victory in the polls.
"The
PML-N workers opened fire on my container (vehicle). If I was hit who could
stop my party workers from reacting," said Khan, the chief of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf party.He urged his party workers to remain peaceful, saying if
the martial law was imposed in the wake of the government's actions his party
would be blamed."The government is blaming us for the Gujranwala incident.
It will also blame us in case martial law is imposed on such acts of the government,"
Khan said.
Khan also
presented video footage of PML-N workers attacking his vehicle. The footage
showed PML-N workers pelting stones and shoes on his vehicle with those on
board seen ducking.PTI spokesperson Shireen Mazari said at least eight party workers
were injured in clashes in Gujranwala.Three of them have been seriously injured
and shifted to a hospital. They have suffered head injuries, she said.Mazari
alleged that Federal Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir's men were involved in
the incident. Gujranwala district is the constituency of Dastgir."Police
present there did not act to stop the PML-N activists," she alleged,
adding that "we cannot give guarantee of our party workers remaining
peaceful if they are attacked en route to Islamabad."
The anti-government
protesters of both the groups plan to stage a sit-in in Islamabad to press
their claims, at the end of a "long march" -- which set off on a
370-km journey to the country's capital on Thursday.Khan initiated his 'Azadi
March' from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, while Qadri launched his
'Inqelab March' (revolution march) from the Model Town area of the city.
Khan has
already underlined his demands, saying Sharif should resign and a caretaker
government should be formed for holding a fresh general election in the
country.Qadri has also unveiled the goals of his 'revolution' march, saying its
fundamental purpose is to restore democracy and alleviate poverty.Khan's convoy
had reached Gujranwala, 80 kilometers from Lahore, while Qadri's convoy had
reached Jehlum, 180 kilometers from Lahore, after 25 hours of journey.There
were conflicting reports as to how the clash in Gujranwala started.Punjab Law
Minister Rana Mashhood said the PTI workers attacked the office of the PML-N
which led to the clash.
"Our
four workers have also been injured and we have closed all PML-N offices on the
protest route. We have doubled the police force on the route of the long march
of Mr Khan after this incident. We have also asked our party workers to stay
calm," Mashhood said.Another senior leader of Sharif's PML-N said there
are several local offices of their party on the main road in the Gujranwala
city and problem started when PTI workers chanted slogans against the prime
minister while passing an office.
"Police
took timely action to control the situation and we have asked workers to
immediately close down all offices on the road," he said.However, PTI's
senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said their protest rally was attacked by
Sharif's supporters with stones.Khan has also accused Sharif for the clash
between their supporters. The Gujranwala city is considered a stronghold of
Sharif.Khan said after the incident that he will file a case against Sharif and
his younger brother and chief minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif for any harm to
his workers or party leaders.
Former
minister and Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, who is supporting
Khan, said he also saw a person firing a pistol.Khan's rally has moved very
slowly and is expected to arrive in the capital late Friday night.Qadri's
convoy has overtaken Khan and his supporters have been peaceful with no
incident of violence reported during their journey.
Both Khan
and Qadri had initially planned to take out a joint rally to oust Sharif but
differences cropped between the two with Khan leaving his residence without
waiting for Qadri which has angered the fiery cleric.Qadri is now planning to
hold a separate protest at Zero Point area of the capital while Khan's workers
have been allowed to install a stage at Aabpara Chowk in Islamabad.Some of
Khan's supporters have already reached Islamabad and are waiting for his
arrival.The government has removed all road blocks to facilitate the marchers
entry in to the capital.But thousands of police and paramilitary soldiers have
been deployed to maintain law and order.Both protest marches are swelling in
numbers as they head towards the capital.About 50,000 people have so far joined
Khan's convoy while around the same number of people are part of Qadri's march.
3) 3 new
slogans Modi raised at Red Fort:
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi coined some new slogans on Friday in his 65-minute
maiden speech from the ramparts of Red Fort to drive home his point.
Slogan #
1: Make in India
To
strengthen the manufacturing sector of the country, the Prime Minister raised
the slogan of "Make in India" as he asked domestic and foreign
stakeholders to manufacture more and more products in India and sell them
across the globe.
"We
will have to give stress on manufacturing sector. I want to urge all the
countries, come, make in India," he said, adding that the message of
"Made in India" should reach all corners of world.
Slogan #
2: Zero Defect, Zero Effect
Modi
coined the "zero defect, zero effect" slogan as he spoke of
participation of youth in boosting the sector critical to India's economic
success.
"When
you (youth) decide that you will make at least one thing so that the country
does not have to import it. Your policy should be 'zero defect, zero effect'.
It means there would be no defect in the products you manufacture and it causes
zero or no ill effect to the environment," he said.
Slogan #
3: Mera Kya, Mujhe Kya
Criticising
the tendency of people to keep out of a task if it does not give them any
personal benefit, Modi said when somebody is approached for a work he asks mera
kya (What is in it for me?)". When they find out, there is nothing for
them in it, then say mujhe kya (Why should I be involved)."
Modi said
if we have to strengthen our national character, then we will have to get rid
of this attitude of mera kya, mujhe kya and do things for the benefit of the
country.
4) China
inaugurates new Tibet rail link close to Sikkim:
China on
Friday inaugurated its second railway line in Tibet, built at a cost of $2.16
billion, close to Indian border in Sikkim, enhancing mobility of its military
in the remote and strategic Himalayan region.The 253-km railway line links
Tibet's provincial capital Lhasa with Xigaze, the second-largest city in Tibet
and also the traditional seat of the pro-Beijing Panchen Lama -- stated to be
second important Monk in Tibetan hierarchy.
The new
line near the Indian border in Sikkim is also close to China's border with
Nepal and Bhutan.It reduces the travel time between Lhasa and Xigaze from the
current four hours by highway to around two hours, state-run Xinhua news agency
reported.It is the second railway line in Tibet and an extension of the
Qinghai-Tibet railway, the world's highest rail link connecting China's
mainland with Tibet.Construction of the railway line started in 2010 with an
investment of 13.28 billion yuan ($2.16 billion).
In
addition to this, China last month unveiled plans to construct a new crucial
railway line in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh, which Chinese analysts say
could act as a "bargaining chip" during the border talks with India.
The construction of another railway line linking Lhasa to Nyingchi in the east
is also expected to start soon, recent official media report said.
Nyingchi
is located right close to Arunachal, the nearest area to the border. China
claims Arunachal as part of Tibet. The railway expansion will connect, Nepal,
Bhutan and India by 2020, the report said.The growing Chinese railway network
in Tibet is likely to leverage Beijing's claim over the disputed border region,
experts claim.It would also help Chinese military strategically by reducing the
travel time to the remote southern Tibetan region, they add.The construction of
a railway connecting Xigaze with Gyirong county, close to Nepal, will be
constructed under the five year plan ending 2020, an official recently
said.Gyirong county has a checkpoint connecting Nepal and Yatung county, close
to Indian border near Sikkim and Bhutan, a trade centre bordering India and
Bhutan.
5)
Pakistani forces violate ceasefire thrice in 21 hours:
.jpg)
In major
escalation in border skirmishes, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire for the
third time in 21 hours along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and
Kashmir, forcing Army to retaliate.“Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked
small arms and automatic weapons firing on Indian posts along LoC in Hamirpur
sector of Poonch district around 1730 to 1810 hours today,” Defence PRO Lt Col
Manish Mehta said on Thursday.
Army
troops retaliated with equal calibre weapons, he said, adding there was no loss
of life or injuries to anyone in the firing.Pakistani troops also fired mortar
shells in the forward posts and civilians areas, as per the reports. This was
the eighth ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in the past six days and
ninth in the month of August.
A defence
spokesman said sweets were exchanged at the Chakan-da-Bagh and Hot-spring
Mendhar crossing points on Thursday by the troops of both sides on the occasion
of Pakistan’s Independence Day.“The exchange of sweets is an appreciated
gesture from both the countries and is expected to go a long way in promoting
harmony and bonhomie along the Line of Control,” the defence spokesman
added.Earlier on Thursday morning, Pakistani troops also resorted to firing in
Balakote forward belt in Mendhar sector of Poonch. There was no loss of life or
injury to anyone in the firing, the PRO said.On Thursday, Pakistani troops
resorted to unprovoked small arms and automatic weapons firing on Indian posts
along LoC in Hamirpur sector of Poonch.
On August
13, Pakistani troops fired with small arms and automatic weapons on forward
posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Poonch, injuring one jawan.On August
12, Pakistani rangers resorted to heavy firing with mortar shells, small arms
and automatic weapons on five BoPs and civilian areas along the IB in Arnia-R S
Pura areas of Jammu. On August 11, two BSF jawans were among four persons
injured when Pakistani troops fired with small arms, automatic weapons and
mortar shells on 10 border out posts and civilian areas along the IB in Arnia
and RS Pura belts of Jammu.On August 10, Pakistani troops targeted Indian
forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the LoC in Mendhar
sector of Poonch, prompting our forces to retaliate.On August 8, Pakistani
troops resorted to firing on Indian posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of
Poonch.BSF and Pakistan Rangers had on Friday made a commitment to uphold peace
and tranquility on the border and extend all cooperation to each other in
dealing with emergent incidents in a proactive and positive manner.However, the
ceasefire violations have continued. Security officials feel the firing and
shelling in LoC and IB areas in Poonch and Jammu sectors is done to infiltrate
armed militants into the state to target Independence Day programmes.
Sports News
This Week:
1) India
vs England 2014: 5th Test, Day 1 – Live Cricket Score:
Over 45
|| Score 90/9
Varun
Aaron was the ninth batsman to be dismissed he hit one back straight to Woakes.
Woakes, like most of the English seamers has been brilliant with his line and
length and was rewarded with the third wicket. Ishant Sharma is the new man in
and Dhoni would now attempt some big hits to get his team past 100 runs.
2) Yohann
Diniz sets new 50km walk world record:
Yohann
Diniz of France smashed the world 50km walk record at the European Athletics
Championships on Friday in a time of 3hr 32min 33sec.
The
previous record of 3:34:14 was set by Russia`s Denis Nizhegorodov in Cheboksary
in May 2008.
The
ecstatic 36-year-old Diniz even had time to stop for a few seconds to collect a
Portuguese flag from a fan and also waved a French flag as he crossed the
finishing line for his third successive European title in Zurich.
In
changeable weather conditions, Diniz had to cope with rain, sun and wind as he seized
control of the race with 14km to go.
He strode
away to finish 3min 48sec in front of Slovakia`s Matej Toth with Russian Ivan
Noskov claiming bronze, a further 1min 20sec back. Diniz`s previous best time
and the French record dated back to 2009 at Dudince, Slovakia when he clocked
3:38:45
3)
Cincinnati Masters: Tommy Robredo stuns Djokovic, Federer sets up Murray
showdown:
Tommy
Robredo shocked world number one Novak Djokovic Thursday at the Cincinnati
Masters, but Roger Federer avoided an upset again Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Spain`s
Robredo, seeded 16th in the US Open tune-up, sent top-seeded Djokovic packing
7-6 (8/6), 7-5, the defeat coming a week after the world number one Serb was
beaten in the third round at Toronto.
The
Wimbledon champion now goes into the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year
which starts on August 25, well short of matches and confidence.
Second-seeded
Federer, a five-time Cincinnati champion, held off Monfils 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.He
booked a tough quarter-final against eighth-seeded Scot Andy Murray, who
battled more than two hours against the huge serve of John Isner, finally
dispatching the American 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
Federer
had a rare show of temper late in the match, arguing with the chair umpire over
a decision not to call on electronic line-calling on a particular point.But
Federer quickly recovered his poise, clinching the match with a service winner
after breaking Monfils in the penultimate game."I`m just happy the way I`m
playing right now," Federer said. "It was much better than the last
couple of matches."I was hitting good forehands, not making so many
mistakes, returning better," he added. "So there was a lot of
positives out in the match. Sometimes frustration, but sometimes that`s what
Gael does to you."Djokovic, who was married last month and is soon to
become a father, said it wasn`t a question of the new elements in his life weighing
on his tennis.
"I
just lost the match," he said. "It was bad. Many, many things are not
clicking these two weeks on hard courts. It`s unfortunate, but it`s more than
obvious I`m not playing even close to what I`m supposed to play."I have to
keep on working and trying to get better for the US Open. I just don`t feel
comfortable. That`s it."Robredo was thrilled to win only his second match
in eight encounters with a world number one player. He beat then-top ranked
Lleyton Hewitt at Roland Garros 11 years ago."It`s amazing to be here
playing and to beat the number one, I`m more than happy," said the
32-year-old Robredo, who next faces sixth-seeded compatriot David Ferrer -- a
7-5, 6-0 winner over Mikhail Youzhny.Murray, in search of his first title since
Wimbledon in 2013, has struggled to regain top form since his return from back
surgery in January."It`s a very important match for me to win," he
said. "I had lost a few close matches over the last few months. It was
important for me to come through."
Australian
Open champion Stan Wawrinka, the third seed, rallied to beat Croatian Marin
Cilic 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.He`ll play France`s Julien Benneteau, who beat Jerzy
Janowicz 7-5, 6-1.Fifth seed Milos Raonic made amends with his 30th ace on
match point after earlier double-faulting three times while serving for
victory.The Canadian defeated American Steve Johnson 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
and next faces Italian 15th seed Fabio Fognini. Fognini beat Lu Yen-Hsun of
Taiwan 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.In women`s action in the combined ATP and WTA event,
defending champion Serena Williams continued her march through the draw,
beating Italian 13th seed Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-2.Williams next plays eighth
seed Jelena Jankovic, who beat Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.
Also
through was world number two and second seed Simona Halep, a 6-4, 7-5 winner
against Czech Lucie Safarova."Today was much better than my first match
here," said Halep, winner in Bucharest last month and runner-up to Maria
Sharapova at Roland Garros. "I was happy to win in two sets, since she was
up 5-4.Halep earned a mouth-watering rematch with fifth-seeded Sharapova, who
beat fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
Sharapova
had to rally from a break down three times in the second set but managed to finish
it off in two.Ukrainian teenager Elina Svitolina, who took out double Wimbledon
winner Petra Kvitova in the second round, claimed her second seeded victim with
a defeat of Spain`s number 15 Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.She`ll next
face former world number one Ana Ivanovic, a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 winner over Svetlana
Kuznetsova.Fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland cruised past Germany`s
Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-1 and will take on Denmark`s Caroline Wozniacki, a 7-5,
6-2 winner over sixth-seeded German Angelique Kerber.
4) I'm
paying for a mistake I made: Luis Suarez:
Luis
Suarez trained with his Barcelona team-mates for the first time on Friday and
then admitted he was still paying for his "mistake" in biting Italy`s
Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.After getting the green light from the Court
of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Uruguayan striker was the centre of
attention as he took part in his first training session with the Catalan club.
But
afterwards, interviewed wearing a Barcelona shirt, he told the club website:
"I`m paying for a mistake I made and one I have apologised for, but I have
to forget about all this."I am only thinking about the future, which is at
FC Barcelona, the club who I dreamed of playing for."After the uncertainty
of the past weeks, Suarez stressed: "I am really happy to feel like a
footballer again, and to be with my team-mates. I just couldn`t wait to get
started."Suarez took an active part in the session with the main group
under the watchful eye of coach Luis Enrique.On Thursday, the CAS upheld
Suarez`s four-month ban from playing in competitive games as well as his
nine-match international suspension, but it did allow him to train and play in
unofficial matches.
And that
means he could make his debut against Mexican club Leon in the Gamper Trophy,
the traditional curtain-raiser to the season at the Camp Nou.
Suarez
has reportedly been training on his own in an unknown location in Catalonia
since completing his 95 million euros (£75 million, $127 million) move to the
Camp Nou from Liverpool last month.
He will
be available to play in competitive matches from Saturday, October 25, meaning
his official debut could come in the first Clasico of the campaign against Real
Madrid.Suarez has never explained his propensity to bite opponents.He earned a
10-game ban for biting Chelsea`s Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, after being
sidelined for seven matches with Dutch club Ajax in 2010 for the same offence
against PSV Eindhoven`s Otman Bakkal.Suarez will be presented to the Barça fans
on Monday before the Joan Gamper Trophy match and on Tuesday he will be
presented to the media at a press conference.
In
Friday`s training session, as well as Suarez, Brazilian Neymar completed the
full session, even though he has not received the medical all clear after
suffering a fractured vertebrae in the World Cup quarter-final against
Colombia.
5) Ferrari
boss dismisses suggestions about Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen leaving:
The
suggestions about Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen leaving Ferrari at the end
of the year have been reportedly dismissed by president Luca Di Montezemolo.
Alonso
has just two podium finishes from 11 races in 2014, while Raikkonen has a best
result of sixth place. And the team`s failure to produce a winning car led to
speculation over both men.
But Di
Montezemolo said that they are lucky to have two great champions, who are
working with the whole team to get back to being competitive again, The BBC
reported.
Raikkonen
joined Ferrari for the second time in his career at the end of 2013, having won
the world title with the Scuderia in 2007, but has picked up just 27 points so
far, triggering reports that the Finn could retire. He is, however, under
contract at Ferrari until the end of 2015, with an option on his side to extend
it to 2016.Alonso, who is also contracted until the end of 2016, is frustrated
by Ferrari`s continuing inability to provide him with a car which is
competitive enough to fight consistently for race victories and the title, and
is a target for McLaren.Di Montezemolo said on the Ferrari website that as is
the case every summer, there is unfounded gossip about alleged problems with
senseless rumours bandied about, such as the ones relating to Alonso`s
contract.He added that they know that the summer heat always produces silly
stories. Di Montezemolo said that their drivers must now relax in order to
return in top form.The Ferrari president said that the season is still long and
they need Alonso and Raikkonen to be in great shape.
Alonso
has finished in the points at every race so far this season and sits fourth in
the drivers` standings, 87 points behind leader Nico Rosberg of Mercedes, the
report added.
Book Of
This Week:
One Life
Is Not Enough - An Autobiography by K. Natwar Singh:
.jpg)
I
remember how each of Sonia's speeches was an exercise that would take six to
eight hours. Sometimes, these agonizing 'speech sessions' lasted till midnight.
There were occasions when she and I would be alone, working on them. She would
read the speech aloud, I would time it. It would then be translated into Hindi.
The Hindi version would then be transliterated into English and printed out in
bold letters. This situation did not last long.
Her
English is near perfect; Hindi is the problem – she cannot speak the language
without a written script in front of her. To my suggestion to her that she
learn by heart a chaupai or two of Tulsidas's or Kabir's dohas and use them in
her speeches, she threw her hands up. 'I go blank even with a written text. You
want me to say something extempore? Forget it.'
Many
senior Congressmen sent suggestions and drafts for her speeches; seldom were
these used. Jairam Ramesh became a regular presence at the marathon 'speech
sessions'. Being a wizard with the computer, he was useful. He is good company.
His brain is razor sharp but his wit occasionally got him into trouble. At
times I was the target of his wit. Sonia used to enjoy my discomfiture.
By now I
was meeting Sonia frequently. I reminded her that her family had an
international constituency which had been neglected since Rajiv's death. She
must revive it. She asked how I would achieve this. I told her that with the
assistance of my erstwhile colleagues in the Ministry of External Affairs, I
would ensure that visiting Foreign Ministers and Prime Ministers called on her.
After all, as head of the Congress Party, she was the de facto Leader of
Opposition.
I sounded
out my friend Brajesh Mishra on this. He was not dismissive, but made no
commitment. After some months, the MEA began to include a call on the Congress
President in the programme of visiting ministers and Prime Ministers.
To begin
with, Sonia did not look forward to these meetings. 'What do I say to them?'
she would ask. My advice was, 'Listen. You will gather much information.' I
used to be present at most of the meetings between 1999 and 2005, arriving at
10 Janpath a few minutes before the visiting dignitary. Initially, Sonia would
turn towards me with embarrassing regularity. This did not go unnoticed. I
asked her to try not to do so. As time went by, the media's interest in Sonia's
exchanges with these visitors increased.
On 14
November 1998, I had bypass surgery at the Escorts Heart Institute. Throughout
my stay in hospital, Sonia telephoned Dr Trehan, my heart surgeon, inquiring
about my medical condition. She visited the hospital twice. Her genuine concern
meant much to Hem and me. On several occasions, she would telephone late at
night to ask if I was watching a particular TV programme. My wife, too,
received such calls.
9 May
2002 was the darkest day in my family's life. Our beautiful daughter, Ritu,
passed away. The family was shattered. The moment I informed Sonia, she came
immediately to our house. She spent many hours with Hem, Jagat and me. She
shared our grief. That we shall never forget.
Sonia
used to worry a lot about the security of her grandchildren, as well as
Priyanka's safety. I promised to speak to Brajesh Mishra and did sound him out
later. He promised to do the needful discreetly, as Sonia had wished.
My
growing proximity to Sonia could not go unnoticed. I was at 10 Janpath almost
every day. I was seen as one of her closest confidants and some 'well-wishers'
pumped me, saying, 'You are the best troubleshooter she has.'
My reply
was: 'Nonsense.'
The
political discussions between Sonia and I were exclusive, serious and to the
point. Our informal chat sessions, though, were a delight. On returning from
one of my trips abroad, 'I missed you,' were her opening words.
Sonia was
becoming less diffident in public, but still had a long way to go. In a
male-dominated society, she could never relax. Even in the Working Committee
meetings, she was taut, and spoke very little.
Jairam
once invited Sonia's wrath for an indiscretion. She refused to see him.
Banishment from the darbar was the ultimate manifestation of her displeasure.
Jairam could not take it beyond a week. He came to see me, distraught and
anguished. 'Sir, if she does not see me, I don't know what I will do,' he
declared. I told him, 'Ramesh, whatever you wish to do, please don't do it in
this room.' I asked him to calm down, assuring him that I would speak to Sonia.
I did, telling her about Jairam's agitation. Sonia eventually relented and
Jairam lived happily ever after.
Natwar Singh (born
May 16, 1931) is an Indian politician, a former senior bureaucrat, a former
Union cabinet minister, and a writer.
Singh was
selected into the Indian Foreign Service, one of the most competitive and
prestigious government services, in 1953. In 1984, he resigned from the service
to contest elections as a member of the Congress party. He won the election and
served as a union minister of state until 1989. Thereafter, he had a patchy
political career until being made India's foreign minister in 2004. However, 18
months later, he had to resign under a cloud after the U.Ns Volcker committee
named both him and the Congress party to which he belonged as beneficieries of
illegal payoffs in the Iraqi oil scam
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